Changing the Culture of Violence in Fiji

LEARN TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF VIRTUES

In September the team of youth working with the Virtues Project visited two separate communities. More then fifty people in each community attended the meetings at which the virtues strategies were presented over five hours.  Discussions were held about the five strategies and their importance in their daily lives. After the presentation were made the participants were given time for questions about the five strategies.  People were deeply concerned with the current situation they are facing and the strategies of the virtues enlighten them, enabling them to see things from a different perspective.

RECOGNIZE TEACHABLE MOMENTS 

These discussions helped them see the important of working together. The two mataqali (tribes) have come up with their own plan on how to support each other during this difficult time.   They have also contacted some of their family members who reside overseas to support them financially.  One of their objectives is to buy groceries and pack them up to distribute to their mataqali members who are currently without jobs. Even though some of their members are farmers they were not able to deliver their food produce to the market because of the lockdown which means they had no income.

 SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES AND CONSEQUENCES

The committee organized resource people to speak on certain topics that will help their members to be sustainable. 

 HONOR THE SPIRIT

The mataqali have seen how people have starting to work together in unity and they are also continuing to use the virtues of sharing, caring and love. 

PROVIDE COMPANIONING TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS

Following the virtues presentation it was agreed that each member of the households would start practicing the five strategies, after which they experience they would share it to other members of their mataqali in the village. 

The virtues presentation also helped them to realized the importance of consultation as it helps them better understand each other.  Before there was no consultation between the head of the mataqali and its members. 

During this pandemic they were able to share about what they forefathers used to do while going out fishing, building a bure and cooking certain type of traditional food.  They said it given them the opportunity to teach their younger generation before it is too late. 

They have also spoken about the important of the language we use, they agree at times they used negative words when they are angry with their children. 

Before the end of December other communities around Suva were visited and provided with the same process. The youth working with the Virtues Project carried out awareness programs in settlements near Tailevu, Nausori,Lami and Suva corridor.                                      

The awareness was done in clusters due to the covid protocol.  There were two clusters on each district consist of fifteen people from young to old per cluster.  There were one hundred and twenty people reached during this awareness. 

The youth main focus was to train their fellow peers and also their family members on the five strategies. 

 During the awareness some participants explain how the pandemic affect them socially. It affects them financially which built insecurity among them. There was no hope to keep them financially viable if the lockdown was prolonged. They were even traumatized by the fear being sick and isolated. They were also emotionally affected by losing their loved ones and being out of touch with other family members.

 They felt the lost of self esteem as things being crashing down on them without be prepared.

 After the sharing of the five strategies they were able to understand that to be able to cope with the changes happening around them it had to come from within each individual. 

They have realized the important of being obedient to the respective stakeholders to be able to protect them from spreading the virus. They also realized the important for being more conservatives and vigilant on what's happening around them to make wise decision in building their capacity to be able to sustain them in the near future. They have also observed the positive attitude that helped them during the pandemic was to share within their own community and this has built unity among the different races in this community.

PICTURES: The first photo shows the attendees at one of the workshops to give some idea of the families who attended. The second photo is of the youth who made the presentations.